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The Philadelphia 76ers (13-19) wrapped up a West Coast trip by squaring off with the Golden State Warriors (17-16). The Sixers got Joel Embiid back in the lineup but played some of the least inspired ball they’ve played all season. The 139-105 final score does not fully indicate what a beatdown this was.
After the 76ers folded in the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings, they needed to wash off the stink. Instead, they only got stinkier. Their performance against the Warriors was abominable and left them going back home with losses that covered up the winning streak they were just enjoying.
Embiid back in
The 76ers continued their plan to rest Embiid on back-to-backs, saving him for this matchup. He had the benefit of rest that his teammates didn’t, though the Warriors had two full days of rest coming into this home game. Philly needed the big man to provide some real energy after giving him the last game off. He wasn’t bad but he also wasn’t good enough to boost a lackluster performance from the rest of the team (save for Guerschon Yabusele, who was great).
The Sixers looked like a team on its second game in as many days. They committed four turnovers in as many minutes to open the game. They had six points in as many minutes, too. Embiid contributed to this sloppiness but also tried to turn it around.
Embiid's interior defense was stout but Sixers' off-ball defense was anything but. The Warriors' cutters had all the space in the world to move around the court and ball-handlers weren’t met with great help defense. Paul George had perhaps his worst defensive game of the season, which once again featured two fouls in the first quarter. Foul trouble is starting to become a real issue with him.
The Sixers' offense kept them somewhat close and Embiid, of course, was the driving force. The small Warriors struggled to keep such a big, skilled opposing star out of the paint. His hesitancy to explode to the rim resembled the shape he was in to start the season, though he could still muster up an explosive leap when he felt up to it. One of those instances was blocking a transition layup attempt from Andrew Wiggins.
Embiid's effort was called into question because of how casually he seemed to be moving on the floor. Sure, it wasn’t the liveliest he ever looked. But expecting that out of someone who's still wearing a massive knee brace — not to mention the foot sprain and the sinus fracture — is foolish. Pointing out a few moments where his effort was poor doesn’t have to become a complete dissertation of him as a player.
At this point in his career, Embiid seems to have lost any sympathy among the national audience, which includes commentators. Are there times to criticize him? Yes. Should that time be a game where he tied his season high in free-throw attempts, recorded 28 points and 14 rebounds and had very little help around him? No.
Buried by threes
The Warriors' offense may not be one of the best in the NBA but they do a lot of good things — rebound, shoot and make threes, move the ball. Stephen Curry, as he has been for a long time, is the key to it all. All of that was on display tonight.
The Sixers, especially offensively, looked like a bicycle in a motorcycle race. Yabusele did a great job bullying his way into the paint and finishing with finesse moves and Embiid had a few nice finishes, too. But the Warriors…well, you know what they do. They splashed triple after triple, nearly going up by 20 points in the first quarter. Even when the Sixers started to get going in the second quarter, the Dubs just kept pushing the pace and hitting their own, too.
Defense has kept the Sixers competitive this season. That's the side of the ball where they've been really solid with or without Embiid. But against the Warriors, who play fast and play together, they looked like they had no answers. This game's fourth quarter was garbage time for nine minutes.
The Warriors took advantage of the space they demanded by scoring at the hoop with regularity. Off pick-and-rolls with Curry and Draymond Green attacking open space and creating something for teammates, they overcame Embiid's rim protection with several creative solutions. They also just beat the Sixers up the court to score early in the shot clock, too. Philly's trash defense was Golden State's treasure.
Curry went berserk, going 8-8 from deep as a part of his 30-point, 10-assist night, but he was not alone. Moses Moddy (4-5), Dennis Schroder (3-4) and Jonathan Kuminga (2-3) also provided plenty of treys.
Anyone? Bueller?
Embiid was pretty solid but not in any shape to drag the 76ers to a win in this one — and he didn't get enough help to pull them forward. Tyrese Maxey missed a handful of layups and, despite tallying six assists, left plenty to be desired with his playmaking. George actually shot the ball well but wasn’t in any takeover mode. No one else, save for one very impactful Frenchman, stepped up.
Yabusele deserves a bonus for how he played in this game. He used his big frame and got running starts to power his way to the hoop, scoring 11 points without a missed shot. Nick Nurse played him way too infrequently for how good he was. Even with the need to stagger him and Embiid so he can be the backup five, he should have seen more minutes.
In fairness, even if he did, it wouldn’t have been enough.
The 76ers started to play sharper in the third quarter when Yabusele took the place of Kyle Lowry. A quick 5-0 run that cut the deficit to 15 looked like the beginning of a comeback effort. Then the Warriors ripped off an 11-1 run like it was nothing. Curry danced and his teammates swung the ball around the court as they pushed the lead to a game-high 25. It would only get bigger from there in the fourth quarter.
This was not a game the 76ers will look back on fondly. Now, they'll head back to the East Coast for a Saturday matchup with the Brooklyn Nets.
